They’re not in the dorms, and they’re not in the majority of buildings on campus. Nope, they’re not even in the Bean. It takes a serious amount of effort and determination to find the sparse population of recycling bins on ACU’s grounds and then transport reusable garbage to these locations.
Our campus needs more recycling bins, and despite “go-green” initiatives, the situation doesn’t seem to have improved. Either students, faculty and staff are unaware of recycling’s benefits, or we truly are concerned and simply not acting on our conviction.
According to the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, of the 300 U.S. and Canadian universities polled on their sustainability efforts, more than half were found to compost food waste. More than two out of three schools surveyed had also integrated educational awareness about stability in their first-year program.
We cite these statistics to prove other college campuses are taking steps to address the issue of recycling – among other sustainability efforts. If, as the 21st Century Vision states, ACU is to truly become the premier university for the education of Christ-centered, global leaders by 2020, then it must be addressed on our campus as well.
While ACU’s website does have a page entitled ACU Green that provides tips for students on recycling and conserving energy, as well as justifications for sustainability, one web page is not enough. When trash cans outnumber recycling outlets by at least three to one in the library, it is time for students to take initiative.
We must remind ourselves of our responsibility -Â as a premier institution comprised of Christian stewards -Â to set an example of thoughtful concern for the well-being of God’s creation. The importance of reusing waste should be a continual topic of discussion between faculty and students if we are ever going to see results. These discussions must be backed by data on the amount of energy and resources consumed by the university. If such statistics were tracked and made openly available to community members, they could become a powerful way to cement the necessity of conservation as a reality rather than just the subject of a thoughtful classroom debate.
Practical and tangible ways of practicing green initiatives also need to be expanded and advertised. We can think of no reason why recycling bins should not be placed in visible places in every building on campus. The absence of this simple addition to waste management is unnecessary and shows a disregard of a basic need of our community, even if it’s not true.
ACU has been blessed with an overwhelming amount of resources; it is our obligation to be good stewards of them.
